Keep the 1959 Knotty Pine kitchen,or "knot"?

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rickr

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My brother Scott and his wife Lisa are going to remodel the kitchen in their 1959 Ranch style home. The house has the original kitchen,with the 1950's style cupboards. I say they should retain the knotty pine cupboards,and have the fronts refinished. They create a nice warm informal feel that really makes the space feel comfortable,and they both like that effect. Lisa isn't sure,so I suggested we post the Easter Sunday photos,and take a vote.Lisa said "do it"! Photos to follows
Opinions please?
Thank you!
 
Photo one

Scott cutting the Easter ham. To be or "knot" to be...
 
Photo two

Lisa "demos" the 1959 General Electric Automatic oven
To be or "knot" to be?
 
Well

I would have to say it all depends on what Lisa likes! What is her dream kitchen? I would let her decide! BTW, They made a cute couple! And you can tell your Brothers!
 
I think I see an original GE cooktop behind Lisa also. I hope they will seriously consider the refinishing of the cabinet fronts since they like the area. And save those appliances if they want new ones.
 
Great Kitchen!

This kitchen has a lot of potential. I say keep the cabinets. They are terrific! A little refinishing, some kewl retro hardware, and they will be great. I would also take out that wooden cornice above the window.

What a fantastic GE oven. That is definitely a keeper!
 
not my style

Personally, I'd gut to the studs. Add new sheetrock, Insulate, run phone, cable TV and network cables. Also a chance to run more appliance circuits in the countertop area. Most importantly you will have the chance to insulate the INTERIOR walls (thermaly and acoustically)as well as spruce up the exterior walls. This give you a chance to see inside the walls and check for termites, carpenter ants, mold, water, etc.

Even with just new cabinets you get the chance to paint and disinfect the walls behind them, and the chance to pick up layers of old flooring (Assuming vinyl is there now)

Here's where I'd go with appliances...If you want to keep the wall oven, replace the cooktop with a standard 30" self-clean smooth-top range. (Go for the ones that have FOUR "Hot" indicator lights, not the brands with one for all four spots.) You'll have two ovens and may end up spending less $ than just replacing the cooktop. Otherwise the Maytag Gemini double ovens with a GE micro-convection on top gives you three oven in less space than you are using now..Just a thought.

Personally, IMHO that style of cabinets does not work for me.

Lately, in my neck of the woods, it's white or moderately light-wood cabinets, dark counters and a stone or stone-look floor. Sometmes those "pergo" wood laminate floors are an option. The jury is still out on duarbility, though.

In my last place that I renovated, I had white cabinets, dark gray counters, SS knobs and a slate floor with dark gray grout and it looked great! The floor had grey, blue, yellow and a reddish-brick-maroon in it. (With this combination though please avoid wood and brass!)

If you get bored eventually, there are so many beautiful colors in a slate floor that can make it to the walls, curtains, tablecloth etc.

Again, IMHO the trick is to buy white blinds or shades(beige always looks dirty) and then you can change the colors in the room every few years inexpensively.

Regards,
Steve
 
Steve

You're too harsh.. here's how you should have said it!!

Lisa..I honestly can't comment on the cabinetry because I have a severe allergy to knotty pine. I would however keep the wall oven and proceed decluttering by sending Scott to me.

Always remember to be tactful and weigh your words.
People will thank you for it...
 
I love the cabinets, they are very cool (of course I am a huge mid-century buff). Refinish if necessary (they actually look fine to me but you can't always pick out wear from a picture). The oven is tres fab. The countertops, backsplash and dishwasher however must go....those are very obviously 1970s updates.

I personally am all for keeping a house as authentic to its time period as possible.
 
1959 Ranch home

Thanks for the opinions,and comments. They will be passed on to Scott and Lisa.
BTW The cabinets are in great condition. They have a few wear spots around some of the hardware,and the finish has darkened with age. Lisa loves the knotty pine,as long as they look brand new. My brother doesn't care if they are saved or replaced. The cooktop is not original,and Lisa wants to replace it with a *glass topped* free standing stove. (*whatever they are called) The wall oven will be removed,and that area "opened up" for what?? I do not know. I will make sure Scott doesn't want the GE wall oven,before I offer it for free on this site.
The rest of the house is remodeled. The previous owner was an elderly widower and Wintered in Florida. The heat system failed on Winter and all the pipes froze and were broken. The neighbors figured out what happened when Spring came and the water started running out the basement windows,and front and back doors of the house. The insurance company rebuilt the house with all new wood floors and carpet,doors,heat and a/c system,water heater,sump pump,refinished basement, etc,etc,etc. After the house was finished the original owner had had enough,and sold the house and moved to Florida.
So the house is really in great shape,except for some updates,which Scott and Lisa are doing. New vinyl siding,re-remodeled basement (again),new electrical,updated bathrooms,new garage,and landscape,all new windows... And now the kitchen,so here we are.
The house is 1950's and in a 1950's neighborhood. I think a 1959 Ranch home located on a 1950's street named Rosewood Circle,should have knotty pine cabinets. (MHO)
 
Rick, ask Lisa if she has considered the less convenient oven arrangement of a freestanding range. She may be ok with it, but perhaps has not given thought to the fact that she may miss that eye-level built-in oven. Another thought might be to replace the cooktop with a ceran cooktop only.
 
opinion

Keep cabinets, re-finish.

modernize countertop and tile on walls

New flooring

If "I" were doing it, the cooktop/oven would be replaced by a 1959 vintage 40" freestanding range. Whatever dishwasher is installed needs panels to match cabinets.
 
I'd start with some

Murphy's Oil Soap, and see what happens with the cabinets. Might not need more than a good scrubbing and rinsing. Or one of those hand-held steam cleaning thingies.

I'd leave as much original as possible, especially if the layout basically works, and maybe hunt for a vintage KitchenAid dishwasher, even though the original dishwasher was more than likely a GE.

I agree about changing the placement of the oven being a not-so-great idea. Need to think about universal design, and future accessability issues.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
My kitchen cabinets had a scaloped knotty pine cornice across the top and i decided to get rid of it and refinish the cabinets. It made the kitchen seem larger plus I could put more collectibles on top of them.I think trying to visualize the finished product is the hard part. Good luck
 
Nice Cabinets

Dr.Mitch.. is the pictured cabinet knotty pine as well?
If it is I'll re-think my position. It is lovely.

BTW is this your full-time residence? I think I remember the room from the pics you have in the "collections" tab, where we see the stove and ref. I am asking because there was a lovely shot of the ref. empty.

Do yo have a Dishwasher? what brand? Love your Maytag W&D too!
 
Don's kitchen

Hi Don. Did you lower the cabinets from the ceiling then?
Rick
 
real wood

Lord no, you couldnt buy those cabinets for love or money, nowdays. I would add modern hardware hinges and pulls, new counter-top, sink and back splash, and call it a day.. I really like her kitchen.
 
Hi Rick. The cabinets are in there orignal position with just the cornice that went from the top of the cabinet to the celing removed. I found enough matching crown moulding in a closet to patch that in. Hello Steve, the cabinets are spruce, but the cornice was knotty pine.Right now I`m the only dishwasher! This is my full-time home and the same kitchen as in the collections pics.These cabinets were originally finished in shellac so thats what I chose to refinish them with, all the woodwork in the house has a warm orange glow, even the hardwood floors. You guys have a great weekend!
 
And like Steve and Lawrence, I like to get everything as clean as possible and spent a lot of time inside the cabinets.
 
Don

What do you collect? or are you like me sort of eclectic. Noticed the old kitchen scale..oddly enough at Value Village last week I found an old hanging "milk scale" I suppose it was used at a farm or dairy for weighing milk cans.
 
Don

Very nice. Well I've got a mish mash of stuff most of it boxed away, small appliances, black memorabilia like salt & peppers, Mammy Cookie jars (the real McCoy stuff), extremely old and dated pewter mugs, Manhattenware, Carltonware. Just an odd eclectic mix of things I've found and liked. I believe I spotted in the picture of your stove, sitting on your counter, what appears to be a light green Ericophone, am I right? I've one of those same color. It's kind of fun seeing that other people sometimes have the same little oddities. What I have to do is get this house in order so that I can display the stuff properly, right now it's just a jumble
 
Hi Don

Looked at your pics and You have quite a nice collection yourself! In one of your pics, I see a 3 stooges cookie jar? Love it, Love it. I'm going to be on the lookout for one of those. You have lots of great appliances, love your frige and stove (such a good match for that kitchen) and your maytag set. Is this an older home you live in? Thanks David
 
Hello Rick

I'm abstaining from the kitchen redo opinions, but if your family wants it authentic, then they must keep it. I saw a great deal of knotty pine growing up and it does tend to get old quick as a look. In my earliest childhood home we had youngstown white steel cabinets with yellow tile for the countertop-oh boy! I caan recall how those cabinets rattled when it thundered outside. Think I would rather have the knotty pine cabinets. Arthur does bring up a good point-they were not prefab and had good wood, well made. Clean them good with that murphy's oil soap like Lawrence suggests.

Well look, I was going to stay out of it and now I open my big mouth. Some people never learn!LOL David
 
I`m in the same shape PeteK, I have just learned to rotate the stuff from my shop to the attic and back to the house! Ha! Thats the way you keep everything dusted. That is an Ericophone and I have about 7 old phones. I think my old radios and appliances are my favorites. Also collect Kodak Brownies and antique photos and restore antique furniture. Hi David, My Neice and Nephew gave me that cookie jar and I love it too! My advice on the kitchen is to look at as many kitchens as you can find, Magazines,Tv,Internet. and remember the things you like best and try to integrate them into the remodel or atleast allow room to add some of them as time and money allow. Thanks Guys.
 
late 50s ranch/western styling

I have an aunt with an early 60s ranch house with the yellow pine and those black trims around the drawers and doors %-(

Never was into that style. I DO love the late 60s-early 80s dark wood stylings but not that early ranch stuff. But just for posterity and being historically correct, KEEP THE KITCHEN. Restore, not renovate.
 
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